5 Favourite Bollywood Dance Acts

How could I choose only five? There's an abundance of rhythmic, catchy, romantic and entertaining Bollywood dance acts out there.

I’ve limited myself, but still chosen the ones that I constantly come back to, for the haunting tune or the beautiful dance. Or both.

Here’s a selection, representing a variety of styles that can serve as a decent introduction to Bollywood. Enjoy!

My absolute top favorite. I love the song, the swirling choreography and the beautiful clothing. From the film Devdas.

A video wich is highly influenced by classical Indian music and dance. Make sure to watch after 03:04 where they’re dressed up and looking like they should. From the film Bhool Bhulaiyaa.

A catchy tune, colorful clothing, a lot of hand movements and facial expressions – what more can you ask for? From the film Agneepath.

A classic. Famous actress and dancer Rekha performs in the 1981 screen version of Umrao Jaan. If you like this one, watch some of the dance acts in the 2006 version as well (search for Umrao Jaan in the YouTube search field).

For the fifth and final video, I’ve chosen one that is easy to like. Actually, this was the video that I first saw in 2009 that, together with this one (ok, I couldn’t limit myself to five...) convinced me that Bollywood dancing would be something for me to try. From the film Bunty Aur Babli.

Today is the first dance class for this semester, and I can’t find the words to describe how much I’ve been looking forward to it. Dancing is what you should be doing on a Friday night, right?

Do you feel awkward about saying these things? Personally, I don’t really mind. To me, the mantra is simply something that helps me prevent distracting thoughts from taking over my mind. I actually think it’s a good thing that I don’t really understand or can relate to what I’m saying...

Relaxation

I end each session with relaxation, and I have a favorite video to help me.

I must have watched this video at least a hundred times. I know every single word of it, and my favorite part is when she says ‘there’s nothing to hold anymore, you can just let go…’. I don’t know, but those words really do something to me.

And, that's the end of it.

Sometimes, I listen to music while doing yoga to get in the right mood. Most often, it’s this Spotify playlist.

I'm ending this post with a disclaimer... Yoga is good for body and mind, but if you’re not sure of what you’re doing, you must be careful, especially if you have back or neck problems or if you’re pregnant. If you’ve never tried yoga before, start by seeing a yoga instructor.

Sturefors Castle

Sturefors Castle, a 20 minutes drive from Linköping, is one of my favorite among our nearby castles. It's a private one, so you're not allowed to enter it, but there's a nice park and beautiful surroundings where you can go for a stroll and have a picnic.

We've been there a couple of times now, and every time we've been practically alone. I like that. You can fantasize that the castle is yours. All yours.

The castle was built in 1704, by architecht Nicodemus Tessin the younger for count Carl Piper.

Homemade Pesto

Last week, I saw a couple of blog posts here and there on homemade pesto.

So, am I really allowed to take up more of Internet’s valuable space with my basic, super simple recipe? Well, if you don’t tell anyone it’s here, no one will really ever notice… It’s our secret, OK?

My recipe is a little different from regular pesto. First of all, it’s vegan. Second, I’m not using pine nuts. Ever since I suffered from pine mouth I stay as far away as I possibly can from them… Have you experienced pine mouth? It's awful!

This is how I prefer my food. A few ingredients of good quality with subtle taste.

My pesto contains:

1 pot of basil (by that I mean like 3 dl/1.3 cups), 1 dl/0.4 cup walnuts and as much olive oil as you prefer (I used around 3-4 tablespoons). Put it in a blender and mix until it’s smooth. Add flaked salt to your taste.

Thoughts on Goals

I have thought a lot about goals, recently. You’re supposed to have goals in your life, right? And there are people who get paid to motivate others to reach them.

I'm convinced that with courage, stubbornness and a lot of hard work, the wildest dreams really do come true. My job was such a goal, that I actually set for myself already during my studies.

Reaching my goal was ... magical. I will not say anything else, but what my inner motivational coach forgot to tell me was how to enjoy this victory for more than... let's say a week, and how a goal-oriented person lives his life when the target is actually achieved. The striving and the constant kicks quickly becomes a drug.

I still haven’t nailed down all the different factors that, combined, led to my fatigue depression, but I know that my stubbornness played a large role.

Currently, I struggle to find the balance. I want to continue to be an enthusiastic, goal-oriented and passionate person – that's who I am – but I can’t afford to end up in the same situation again.

I don’t have all the answers, but when it comes to setting goals, I will in the future really take my time to think through

What goals I set,

why I want to achieve them, and

what I'm willing to sacrifice for them.

Few things are worth sacrificing your health and relations for, for example.

My Yoga Journey

For years, I was certain that yoga was my thing. I knew, before I even tried it. The thought of being in control of body and mind appealed to me, as well as the thought of getting limber as a cat.

So, I went to the gym. And I tried Ashtanga Yoga. Power Yoga. Yoga for Beginners. Medium Difficult Yoga. I felt like I was trying everything, like I was really giving yoga a chance, but it was constantly rejecting me.

I always felt insecure during the classes. I was constantly comparing my abilities and myself with the others in the room. Still, I was certain that yoga was my thing. Or, was it just the idea of being a yogini that appealed to me?

Based on my previous experiences, I admit it was a risky project going on a 10-day yoga trip to India with a group of people I had never met, with a yoga teacher that I knew only by name and face. But it was the best thing I could have done!

This was something totally different. I discovered that the poses, asanas, was only one part of yoga. Relaxation, breathing exercises, mantra chanting, and meditation was equally important in the classes. As students, we were also given an insight into Hindu mythology and the yogic way of life.

For the first time, I understood what yoga was all about, at least to me.

Here’s my view: Yoga is not about making a perfect dolphin pose, or whatever pose you would like to master. Every pose has its purpose.

For example, standing forward bends lengthens the hamstrings. If I feel a stretch while my fingers are still 10 inches from the floor, it’s not a problem. I’m doing a perfect standing forward bend for my body, where I am right now.

Understanding this somehow took the edge of the anxiety that someone else was ‘better’ than I. I was feeling a stretch. She was feeling a stretch. In other words, no one was better than the other. We were both perfect.

Since that yoga trip in January 2011, yoga has been an important part of my life. Sure, there are weeks (sometimes even a whole month...) when we are apart, but whenever I choose to come back to yoga, I'm welcomed and accepted, and I wonder why I ever left.

Vishnu Syamlal is the teacher who helped me discover yoga. He is a certified Sivananda Hatha Yoga instructor. In his classes, he combines Sivananda Hatha, Kundalini and Vinyasa yoga. Asanas, breathing exercises, meditation and relaxation are always included. He holds weekly classes in Stockholm and workshops in Sweden, Norway and Paris.

Beauty Tips By Roald

Roald Dahl, author, gives us the best beauty tip.

I wish you all a nice and sunny weekend. I will fill mine with some gardening, good food, tea drinking and cat cuddling. Maybe a movie or two. Do you have any plans for the weekend you would like to share?

Object of Delight #3

A pair of old but dearly loved shoes. I got them on a trip to the US in 2008 (today I'm actually a bit ashamed of the 'Oh, look at everything I bought' pic in that post...). Shopaholic? Me? Not any more, I tell you.

These shoes are perfect for an early autumn outfit, before it gets too cold (or wet). The colour makes me think of autumn leaves and the little bow is just too cute.

Roasted Root Veggies With Dijoghurt

Dijoghurt? I just made that word up. Definition: A delicious combination of yoghurt and dijon mustard, that goes along perfect with roasted root veggies.

Here's the recipe. Or, at least, some kind of instruction.

Peel root veggies, the ones you find tasty and as many as you and your dinner guests can eat. Cut in 2-3 cm/~1 inch pieces. I used potato, carrots and beet. We also had an awful lot of leek (purjolök) at home, so I added that as well.

Drizzle some olive oil and liquid honey on top of it all, add flaked salt and thyme. Mix it all up, using your hands, and make sure you get a nice distribution of all your ingredients. Roast in the oven for half an hour or so at 225°C/450°F.

For the dijoghurt, take approximatley 5 large tablespoons of thick yoghurt (it doesn't have to be a high fat yoghurt, but you want to use some kind of food yoghurt or the Turkish/Greek kind). Add 2 teaspoons dijon mustard, maybe one half teaspoon olive oil and some thyme. Stir until it's mixed.

We ate this with a green salad and quorn fillets, and it was a perfect weekday dinner.

Restyle: Satin Ribbon Bangles

I made these satin ribbon bangles for my friend Anna on her 31st birthday a couple of weeks ago. Buy some chunky bangles and simply wrap satin ribbon around them. Attach each end with some glue (preferably on the inside, where it doesn't show).

It's really simple, and the opportunities are – as always – endless! Play around with different colors and patterns.

I loved my car. In my opinion, it was almost a human right to have one. The sound of the accelerating engine was the sound of freedom.

My bike was nothing but a dust collector. I hated it. I hated getting all sweaty, having my hair ruined by the wind and trying to carry all my stuff on the bike. And Boyfriend, being a true cyclist, was probably losing faith in me.

Then, something happened. Since a couple of months back I can see the charm of riding on two wheels instead of four. I cycle unbesought. I actually prefer the bike, even on days when rain clouds are piling up. I've become a cyclist.

On days when I'm in doubt, I hear Montand's 'À bicyclette' in my head, and visualize how I, dressed in a flowery 50's dress, am swooshing past everyone on an old lady's bicycle with a huge smile on my face.

Are you a cyclist?

The bicycle, the bicycle surely, should always be the vehicle of novelists and poets.~ Christopher Morley, American author and editor

Melancholy is incompatible with bicycling.~ James E. Starrs

Think of bicycles as rideable art that can just about save the world.~ Grant Petersen

If I can bicycle, I bicycle.~ David Attenborough, British broadcaster and naturalist

I’m lying on a sunny balcony, draped in this very special August warmth, the kind that barely touches your skin. Just like a sheer and gauzy veil. Everywhere I look, I’m surrounded by the saturated colors of summer. The trees are still towering majestic and green. The flowerbeds are still flaunting their pink, red, white and yellow.

And the apples, they’re just about to ripen.

On a day like this, I'm reminded of why I usually take my vacation rather late in the summer. Not just to enjoy two months of anticipating and longing during June and July, but also because I’m a firm believer in beautiful August weather.

I'll do my best to really enjoy these almost heartbreakingly amazing days. Potter about in the garden. Soak up the sun together with Cat. Storing as much energy and light as possible. This time of year.

Pregnancy Photos – Anna, 5 Weeks To Go!

Say hello to my dear, dear friend Anna who just had her first child – Charlie. This is what Charlie looked like some five weeks ago, when Anna and I spent a whole day together taking more than 300 photos of her and the baby bump.

I'm so excited to get to know Charlie, and to hear more about this life changing experience of having a child.

Good morning to you, all my lovely readers. Aahh, a new week – yet another summer week, right? If you're starting to feel autumny, try this peach and pinealpple smoothie, and you will think you're on a sunny, Caribbean beach. It's a promise!

Peach and pineapple smoothieServes 1 person

1 peach

1 centimeter (0.4 inches) pineapple ring, peeled

Juice from one orange

Some garnish if you like

Put peach and pineapple into a blender and mix until it's smoothe and liquified (does this make sense in English?). Squeeze the orange and add the juice to make the smoothie drinkable. Garnish with something pretty if you wish, like raspberries, blueberries or lemon balm.

Author:Jack Kerouac (1922-1969) Title: On the RoadYear of publication: 1957Translation: Read in original languageMy rating: 3/5

I’ll keep it short this time, I've already written so much (only in Swedish though) about Kerouac and the magic he creates. On the Road tells the story about him and his friends, and their journey across the US.

There are parts also in this Kerouac novel that are so amazingly well written that I find myself sitting with a silly smile on my face. His burning desire to tell this story, the beat and the frenzy makes my heart pound faster. But that’s about it.

Even if one could (but I can’t) ignore the macho attitude and the way they sexualize fiteen year old girls, this novel is so terribly long-winded. They travel back and forth across the country, so many times that I eventually loose track and it becomes quite tedious.

I’ve said before that I primarily read Kerouac for his beautiful language, not because of the plot, but there are limits even to what I can bear… Don’t read this. Read Big Sur and The Dharma Bums instead, they're so much better.

The new castle Bjärka-Säby is situated a 30 minutes car ride from Linköping, Sweden. It was built during the 1790's in Baroque style. No kings or queens have lived in this castle, but wealthy Swedish families.

Since 1980 it's owned by a Christian community, and the castle is used for conferences and retreats. It's also a good excursion goal, not least thanks to the café and the beautiful surroundings.

Visiting a castle in use has its ups and downs. On the plus side is the freedom you are given as visitor, you're allowed to touch the furnitures and can take as many photos as you want. On the downside is the wearing and tearing, the somewhat sloppy restorations and the ugly conference chairs from the 1980's...

Visit this castle if you happen to pass by, but I wouldn't do a detour for it.

I wrote yesterday about one of the secrets behind successful second hand shopping; being able to see things in a new light. Another secret is being brave enough to trust your own voice.

In a regular store, someone else have approved everything that’s on the shelfs and hangers. It’s easy to follow a trend, whether you want to stand out from the crowd or fit in. But in a second hand store…

Well, there’s a chaos of dresses from at least seven decades throwing themselves at you, and they are floral, polka dotted, striped, checkered, plain, with and without frills, long and short... It’s all there and the only one who can decide what’s right is... you!

If I had found the dress in the picture above in a fancy boutique, I would’ve bought it straight away. But, as it hung among a bunch of old rags in a second hand store, I spent forever thinking if it was really ok walking around looking like that? I know it sounds silly, but I’m not a big consumer of neither fashion magazines or fashion blogs, so I have no idea of what’s trendy or not.

I bought it though, as you can see, and I love it. And that leads to yet another conclusion about second hand shopping; you have to listen to your own voice and trust your own excellent taste.

Summer Peach and Balsamic Pizza

I have this idea about mainly sharing my own recipes on this blog, but this Peach and Balsamic Pizza was so delicious that I just have to spread the word. Actually, I feel I owe it to you. The recipe is found at one of my favourite food blogs, Love & Olive Oil (those bloggers deserves an award for finding the missing word in that Beatles song. All you need is....love. And olive oil. Oh, and don't forget the pasta).

I didn't have any basil at home, so I used thyme instead and it was just as delicious (what do I know, I haven't tasted it with basil... but you know what I mean). I also sprinkled some flaked salt on top of the pizza after baking. Yummy!

Just try it, and serve with a huge bowl of rocket salad (that's ruccola in Swedish).

There are many things in this picture, but this time it's the striped lamp that’s in focus. I stumbled over it during last week's second hand shopping spree. Seeing it made me realize that something has happened to me. Normally I would have thought it was pretty ugly and just strolled by it, searching for other treasures. But this time I saw it, I mean I actually saw it, and realized that it would be perfect next to my little cat in his prison pajama.

And I believe that this is one of the secrets behind successful thrifting; to wave away the immediate associations and see things in new ways. The lamp was brought home, and it’s happily placed on top of my shiny, black drawer, which is also a second hand find by the way.

And the answer is: YES. Almost everything I buy nowadays is second hand. Did you know (no, how could you know, but let me tell you) that it’s been almost five months since I was in a store with new, unused things (besides the grocery store of course, and hobby boutiques that I make an exception for)? I’m very proud of this, being a shopaholic at weaning.

Choose sheets of paper for the pages of your book, not too many if you just like me are a beginner. All your pages don't necessary have to be white, try mixing in old newpapers for example. I used two pages from a 1950's French Elle and a small paperbag...

2.

Vik pappersarken på mitten och placera dem i varandra.

Fold your paper sheets at the middle and place them inside each other.

Use one of your paper sheets as a template and mark where you want holes to stitch it all together. The more holes you make, the more sturdy it will be, but also more time consuming. I decided that five holes was enough for me. Use a needle to make holes through your template and all the other book pages, a few paper sheets at a time is easiest. Make sure to place your holes evenly through all the pages of your book.

You will most likely discover that the pages of your book are not of the same length (or is 'width' more correct?) now. That happens when you fold them at the middle and put them all together. You can use a small knife to correct it, or simply decide that you like it just the way it is.

Just like the stars in the sky it's impossible to count all the raspberries in our garden. We offered our neighbours to pick some of them to decrease our berry overload, but they returned the favour by offering us red gooseberries from their garden. What to do? A gooseberry (and raspberry) meringue pie, of course!

This pie is recommended for those of you who fancy the combination of sweet (meringue, raspberry) and sour (goosberry).

Start with the pie shell. Mix flour, sugar and vanilla sugar. Add butter, cut in smaller pieces. Crack the egg and part the white from the yellow (you will be using both of them). Add the egg yolk and mix into a dough. Press it into a baking pan with removable bottom and let it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Brush the pie shell with the egg white and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Lower oven temperature to 300°F. Put the berries in the pie shell and move on to the meringue. With an electric whisk, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks are formed. Add the sugar, and whisk again. Spoon your meringue over the berries and sprinkle some coconut flakes on top of everything. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Serve warm. No vanilla sauce or ice cream is needed, thanks to the meringue.

Amazing Autumn Planning Guide, part 2/2

In this second and last part of the planning guide, the time has come to prioritize.

Your lists are probably filled with sweet dreams and feelgood activities, and it’s time to decide which of these that are most important to you and find the must do’s and want to’s to dedicate some of your precious time to every week.

Prioritizing

1. Look at your lists. Are there common denominators? Items you can cluster? Make notes, brackets and arrows, underline, star or strikethrough – anything that helps you sort out your thoughts.

2. Pick out the three things on your lists that are absolutely dearest to you. It should be things that you feel you are almost dependent upon for survival (or at least to stay happy).

3. Choose eight (or more if you wish, but try to be realistic in terms of what you can accomplish without burning yourself) things that you need and/or want to do every single week. These choices should in some way reflect and correspond to your three dearest things-list.

Time to get creative!

I chose to visualize my priorities in a wheel. The hub, in the middle of the wheel, holds my top 3 necessities: family & friends, health and creativity. The idea is to highlight these as important reminders if you suddenly find yourself lost in the stress.

Between each spoke (eker, in Swedish), I’ve written my eight every week choices.

Family and friends (including the dear cat): No words needed. Absolutely necessary to make space each week to nurture your most important relations.

Blog: My blog inspires me to take on creative challenges and express myself in words and pictures.

Writing: Writing has always been a part of my life, and I’ve been wanting for a while to get serious about it. I feel the time has come now to dedicate at least a few hours every week to writing.

Food: Although I still like to see myself as a healthy gourmet, the truth is that during the last years, I’ve spent less and less time on eating, sometimes even forgetting to have lunch and skipping breakfast. This needs to change! I’m actually following CrimsonAnna’s advice to plan my meals ahead every week, starting today.

Bollywood: I love to dance, especially Bollywood. The music is cheerful and you get to use colourful clothing and heavy make-up and jewellery – no further explanation needed. Bollywood dancing also supports a healthy lifestyle, which is in the hub of my wheel.

Yoga: Same here. I like it and it makes me healthy.

Housekeeping: Well, nothing that I love to do, but have to. This is just a reminder to take some time each week to tidy up my home.

Work: Well, I’m still on sick leave but guessing I will be ready to go back to work sometime during this fall. Putting it in my weekly priority wheel also serves the purpose of reminding me not to let work outrival the other spokes in my wheel. It's just one of many things in life.

There were two things on my wish list that I wasn’t really happy to remove, so these are hanging as bonus activities for me to pick like sweet apples whenever I get the time. Instead of taking on weekly pottery classes, I will look for a weekend course.

How to use the weekly priority wheel

Keep it visible. Consult it every Sunday when making plans for next week. Make sure you stick to your three top priorities and make time and space – each week – for the eight spokes.

With this fresh start feeling bubbling inside of me; here are five favourite notebooks for dreams, to do lists, sketches, diary entries or maybe recipes. Opening a new notebook always fills me with inspiration and expectation.

Big book of ideas notebook from Etsy Shop ohNOrachio. I like the simple illustration, white on beige. Also, I like to think that this notebook would inspire me to think great thoughts and come up with big ideas!

£10.

Hammerhead shark notebook from Etsy Shop leanimale. I think this little shark is too cute and so brave, reaching for the stars although it might be scary. A good reminder.

Amazing Autumn Planning Guide, Part 1/2

Ok. It's NOT autumn yet, but August always fills me with that feverish fresh start feeling that makes me want to plan, organize, and buy heaps of pens and notebooks – out with the old, in with the new!

In that spirit, I’ve spent some time thinking about what I want of this coming autumn, a process I hope will help me to stay focused as well as balanced. In a series of two posts, I'm sharing my way of prioritizing and organizing the different parts of my life.

It’s no rocket science, but something that worked for me (of course, I can only refer to the process itself so far, but it felt really good taking some time thinking about these things).

The goal: Finding out what makes you happy and creating space for just that!

Roles and Relations

We all have different roles in our lives, some that we have chosen, some that have been given to us, and others that are… just there. I believe healthy and happy relations are key to a good life, therefore, take a few minutes to list the roles you have.

What’s on your list? Would you dare to prioritize? Is there a role you’re not comfortable with, something you would like to change? Think about it and write it down if you wish. If you, like me, are or used to be a workaholic, it can be helpful to have your priorities black on white, to remind you of what's really important when the wheels are turning faster and faster…

What makes you happy?

What makes you smile, laugh or relax? Make a list of these things, focusing on the activities you would like to fill a regular week with. Don’t be shy, don’t hold back – prioritizing comes later. Here’s my list!

This makes me happy: Dancing, reading, writing, being crafty and creative, yoga, photography, walking, spending time with family and friends, seeing new places, trying new things, taking time to prepare my meals and eating healthy, and, finally – doing... nothing.

Dreams and Goals - Wish List

Now, make a wish list of things you want to accomplish this autumn. This list is supposed to be specific and more goal oriented than the last one.

Like this:

I dream of: Freshen up my French, writing a novel (get started), take Bollywood dancing lessons, take ballet lessons, learn how to turn clay (dreja, in Swedish), and get started with an embroidery project.

If this were a bread recipe, this would be the part where it would say: set aside to rise. So, let these thoughts soak in during the day. Tomorrow, it's time to take a new look at the lists, with fresh eyes, and start prioritizing.

Happy planning!

What are your best planning tips for a happy everyday life? I'd love to hear about them!